7-1-09 DSRCO NEWSLETTER

DSRCO PO Box 26382 CHARLOTTE, NC 28221
Your Voluntary Annual Membership ($10 for families; $20 for businesses, groups, neighborhoods) helps make our work possible. We are grateful to the many individuals, families, neighborhoods, HOA's, businesses, churches, and groups who provided us with operating funds this past year.

Thanks for the recent Membership Renewal from

Eddie & Betty Conley, Atlanta, GA

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DSRCO Community Calendar


Saturday, July 4th
41st Annual Hickory Grove 4th of July Parade & Celebration

Everyone is invited to join in, participate or watch. Free entry for trophies for best decorated bicycle, best decorated riding lawn mower (new category this year!), and fancy pants (group or individual dressed for the 4th, walking in parade). No pre registration, just check in with the parade organizer at 9:30am Saturday morning at Hickory Grove Elementary School on Pence Rd.

Antique cars are welcome (and needed). Floats, other entrants cars, etc. are $50 for cars, $100 for floats (gets your name out.)

Don’t forget the Miss Hickory Grove contest (high school)

Parade is 10:30am – 11:30 am down Harris Blvd. from Hickory Grove Rd. to the HG Presbyterian Church between Milton and Sharon Amity.

Celebration: stage, DJ, watermelon & pie eating contests, rides for the kids, music, food and fun until 2pm.

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Saturday, July 11th
Community-wide Yard Sale
Forest Pond Neighborhood, off Mallard Creek Rd.

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Wednesday, July 15th
“Light” in Concert
Northside Baptist ChurchWe are pleased to present “Light” in concert during our Equipping U service. The concert is free, open to the public and will start at 6:30 pm in the Fine Arts Center of Northside Baptist Church.

This student-led ensemble features more contemporary songs and a commitment to ministering through music. During the summer, “Light” will be traveling across the United States on an 8-week concert tour, representing California Baptist University and the School of Music as they sing and minister in churches, schools and even summer camps.
For more information, please contact the music office of Northside Baptist Church at 704.602.2291 or www.northsidebaptistchurch.net

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Saturday, July 18th
YARD SALE -- BAKE SALE
7am -3pm, Unity Center for Spiritual Living7300 Mallard Creek Road

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Sunday, August 2,
The African Children’s Choir -- FREE Concert
6 pm at Northside Baptist Church. This concert is open to the public.

The African Children’s Choir is comprised of children ages seven to eleven. Each child in the Choir has lost one or both parents to poverty or disease. The Choir performs throughout the world bringing hope and joy to everyone they meet while shining the spotlight on the plight of children in Africa.

The choir will perform a mixture of well-loved children’s songs, traditional spirituals and contemporary tunes. An optional offering will be taken to help provide education, care and emergency relief for more than 7,000 children in Africa.

Northside is located at I-85 and Sugar Creek Rd. For information: contact the church music office at 704.596.4856 or jchastain@northsidebapt.org or www.northsidebaptistchurch.net

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What your Neighbors are saying:


Re: Metrolina Speedway
I grew up on David Cox Rd. when they raced before in late 60's in to the 70's --- good ol boys. We had the noise along with so much red dust it was unbelievable, but we dealt with it. It brought people to the area then and we had less problems then than we do now.

Drinking issue? What about the drinking at Lowes Motor Speedway, or Verizion amphitheater?

Oh, I forgot to say that my Dad was one of those driver/owners too--- no bias intended. As it stands now, I'm all for the new Venue to open. We need something positive around that area. --- Teresa D. Temple, David Cox Rd.
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Good work on this one. This development should definitely be an economic boost to the area.

I sure hope that the sound abatement is effective. When I first moved to Davis Lake in 1996, we could often hear the cars racing at Metrolina on Friday (or was it Saturday) nights. That’s a long way for the sound to carry, so I appreciate the concerns of those living nearby. --- Doug King, Davis Lake ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Watched the hearing last night, NEVER, in my years here have I heard the Derita name so many times in one meeting and to boot, even with a positive spin. Is it feasible to request of Simon Weber (Metrolina Speedway) to continue to identify Derita as much as possible and at the same time, DSRCO try to build awareness outside of your village? --- Les Lemley, Kelsey Glen
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I think what Simon Weber is bringing to the community is a wonderful opportunity for us all. --- Allen Cameron, Derita Lions Club
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Re: Coca-Cola Bottles
Bernie: Enjoyed reading about your memories of the Coca Cola in glass bottles with cities names on the bottom. Many years ago my Dad started collecting those type of bottles and he ended up collecting one from each state. He died years ago and I am proud to say that I still have those bottles. Thanks for the memories you write in the newsletter. --- Marlene Allen, Allen Hills-Carrie Hills===================================================================

Re: Newsletter
You know you do a tremendous job, you are essentially a local newspaper. --- Claire Green Fallon, President, NorthEast Coalition
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Your newsletter has kept me abreast of what's happening in the area and has enabled me to take advantage of several events when we're in the area. Those hot dogs at Oak Grove sure are good! --- Eddie & Beth Conley, Atlanta, GA

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Metrolina Speedway Update --- 6-25-09

I had the opportunity to chat with Simon Weber again this morning over breakfast and wanted to share a few notes with you that might be helpful.

Contact Info:

Simon M. Weber
Speedway Investment Group
311 Williamson Ave. (PO Box 3324)
Mooresville, NC 28117

Cell: 704 309-3511
Fax: 704 799-7214
email: simon@gometrolina.com (alt email: rrrkarts@aol.com)

Simon will continue to give periodic media updates on the project, will focus on selecting the management team, recruiting corporate partners, will work to refine the overall project as a "destination venue," and will continue as
"Point Man" for the Speedway Project.
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Rob Lenderman
Advanced Construction & Consulting
1228 East Morehead Street, Ste 102
Charlotte, NC 28204

704 488-5490
roblenderman@advancedconstructiononline.com

Rob will oversee day-to-day construction, hiring & contracting of local companies, work crews, and individual workers. Companies who want to send proposals or their contact information should address that to Mr. Lenderman. References from previous clients would be helpful.
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Notes of Interest

Metrolina Speedway Website
--- Not up yet, but watch for the website soon, www.gometrolina.com with frequent postings on construction progress, current needs, and other employment opportunities.

Ground Breaking
--- At least one local TV station sent their Mobile Newsroom to the site on Tuesday following Council's unanimous decision to re-zone the Speedway site. There was no heavy equipment rolling or ground being broken. Who knew that Mecklenburg County requires 14 days to approve a demolition order?

A formal Ground Breaking will be held shortly, The media will be alerted and local dignitaries will be invited.


Initial Work -- Job Fairs Coming
--- A grading company that has worked with Mr. Weber on previous residential projects will begin the initial clearing ---even as Rob Lenderman and his company are going through various parts of the project to see what other work crews will be needed and when.

Mr. Weber re-emphasized that he would like to see construction contracts and jobs go to local residents wherever possible. He hopes to announce the first of several Job Fairs soon at a large venue such as the Metrolina Expo. The space would allow room for plans to be displayed and applicants to be briefed and applications taken --- whether they be for full-fledged companies, subcontractors, individual electricians, plumbers, bricklayers, whatever specialty. Follow-up Job Fairs would be held for the detail work as required.

The initial workforce will increase as the project requires, staffing crews to work in two 8 hour shifts per day; and quite likely with a third shift once the interior work begins. Everything is being geared toward a 2010 Grand Opening about
the same time as NASCAR Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte

Probably among the first to be hired will be a couple of security guards who will be needed to control a construction gate. After all, there will be heavy equipment moving about the site almost immediately. The point he was
making is that there will be a full array of job opportunities. While a major builder may erect a building, a subcontractor or pair of subcontractors might be hired to handle installations, or even individual workers to handle finishing work.

Local Suppliers Should Step Up
All types of building materials, hardware and furnishings will be needed during construction over the next year. Local suppliers should put their product lists together and make themselves known. They definitely have an advantage. Why would the Speedway want to order from outside our general area and have to pay additional shipping charges to have items brought here?

I spoke with John Keziah at Keziah's Furniture Outlet on Gibbon Road this afternoon and suggested that he contact Simon or Ron. After all, they will have a Conference Center that needs chairs, tables, lamps, etc. Next year they will have a 150-room hotel that needs furnishing from bottom to top. I mentioned some beds that Simon had seen. Regular hotel room beds that stack to convert into bunk beds suitable for his Summer Camp dorms.

John Keziah said, "Yes, we can get those. In fact, we've got styles available from four different manufacturers."

I also suggested that Steve & Rob McGirt contact the Speedway team for their dirt, gravel and stone needs, and mentioned to Simon Weber that Hal Abernathy LLC is finishing up the Walgreens site here in Derita and could move to the Speedway project. Wonder if F.E. McKee is interested in doing some of the insulating work? Conserving Energy is an important part of the Speedway plan.

Not Everything Set in Stone
Details on some of the plans are still evolving and improving as the latest new technologies are being incorporated. We talked about some common sense ideas -- specifically the individual trees in the parking lot, required by Planning.

Like me, Mr. Weber would like to see those individual trees grouped in a larger area off to the side, perhaps creating with a small walking trail. As a former Scoutmaster with many trips to DisneyWorld under my belt, I suggested grouping the trees together as they did, in a grassy area to provide shade for free family & group picnic tables. Ever been to the bus parking area at Carowinds? You'll find them there, too. Wonder if Planning would approve?

We talked about the rooftop Skateboard Park he plans to build and donate it to the County. The Speedway group has found a legal way to do that and Park & Rec seems receptive.

We talked about the Foundation Board which will govern and run many of the outreach programs. 10% of participants in the Summer Camp programs, beginning in Phase 2, will attend free. They will selected by that Board and we
want to make sure that these spots go to truly deserving youth. Expect to see several Community Leaders on that Board, as well as area business leaders.

We talked about the traffic concerns. Unlike a traditional race track where people get up and leave when the race is over, Mr. Weber feels there are enough "additional activities" that visitors will want to stay awhile --- for dinner,
to visit the shops, enjoy the karting or RC mobile Cars, or even look at cars that will be on display.

Even so, modifications being planned on Highway 115 and Statesville Rd. (which the Speedway group is paying for) should make for a convenient exit. Add to that a current City project --- the widening of Statesville Rd. to
4-lanes from I-85 North (Starita Rd to Sunset Rd.). Construction right-of-way is being purchased as we speak and paving should begin in 2011.

Watch for future Speedway Updates here. Feel free to send us other concerns that you would like to see addressed.

DSRCO remains greatly pleased with these plans and we will be submitting some names shortly for the Foundation Board as well.

Thanks,

Bernie SamondsPresident, Derita-Statesville Road Community Org704 806-3813 Leave Msg deritarep@aol.com

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The Derita Lions Club
meets the 2nd & 4th Monday of most months
Visitors & New Members Welcome
6:30 - 8 pm Maria’s Grill in Derita 2801 W. Sugar Creek Rd.

No Meetings during July or August

Our Next meeting will be Sept. 14,
Guest Speaker: Simon Weber, Metrolina Speedway

New Officers were installed for 2009-2010 at the June 22nd meeting.

President- Howard Blackwelder1st Vice President- Jim Hunter2nd Vice President- Paul Mapes3rd Vice President- Allen CameronSecretary- Richard BehrTreasurer- Ed DavisTail Twister- Reese UntzLion Tamer- Earl Thomas2 Year Director- Chuck McCoy1 Year Director- Fred JonesMembership Director- Phil HolshouserPast President- Allen Cameron

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Like a Potential Buyer
5 Things Realtors Look At . . .

If you are serious about selling your house, you will have to put a little (or a lot) of your own effort into it. I consider the following items to be among the most important to focus on when preparing to put your house on the market.

1 ) Exterior. Curb appeal is very important, especially in this market. A little paint on your shutters and trim can make your house stand out. Make sure vinyl is clean and not mildewed. Cut back the bushes, get rid of the cobwebs, cut
and edge your grass regularly, and plant flowers!

2 ) Floor plan. If I can’t see what your house has to offer beyond all your “stuff,” a buyer won’t be able to either. Box up as many of your small items/knick-knacks/random decorations as possible.

3 ) Floors and walls. These must be clean. Fingerprints, crumbs and dust bunnies must not be visible. Too many stains on the carpet can distract buyers from the more desirable features of your house, and so can all the
pictures of your family and friends. Make sure doors are clean as well, especially if they are white!

4 ) Kitchen counters. I need to see them.

5 ) You. Make sure everyone is on the same page. The idea is to get your house sold as quickly as possible for the highest price and under the most favorable conditions. Once your house goes on the market, it must be thought of as your soon-to-be former residence. It can no longer be considered “your house.”

Hester C. Kast-McClure, Broker/Realtor® Headline Realty, Where Customer Service is Our Lead Story 704.547.1700 office704.517.3287 cell704.547.1177 fax

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An Update on the forthcoming
Derita History in words & photos

The book that I am writing concerning the history of the Derita Community is coming along very nicely. Since the Community was not incorporated and there are no central records, more research has been necessary than I originally
anticipated. Everyone has been so helpful to me as they have granted me interviews and gone through old photographs to find just the one I was wanting.

I still need a few (pre 1950) photographs of the Derita "business district," plus an early photo of Dwyer's Pure and of DeArmon's American. Any ideas? Ray and Frank don't have one nor does Jim have one. I also want to learn more about old artifacts which relate to Derita so that I might photograph them. There's a few more people that I want to interview.

Betty and I are frequently in the Derita area and would be happy to follow-up on any leads this note might turn up. Thanks again for sharing this with all of the folks who read your newsletter. --- Eddie Conley, 404 252-4271

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From Councilman James Mitchell
Charlotte Council District 2 Roads Update
CDOT plans to repave Streets or Portions of the following Streets during this budget year. Additional streets may be added, and some paving may already be completed by this publication date.

W 10TH ST E LIDDELL ST
E 12TH ST W LIDDELL STW 5TH ST LOMAX RIDGE DRE 6TH ST LONG CREEK PKYW 7TH ST LONG PAW LN
E 8TH ST LYME BROOK LNW 8TH ST MCALLISTER DRE 9TH ST MCDONALD ST
A AVE N MCDOWELL STN ALEXANDER ST MEADOW KNOLL DRANDREW WARD AVE MELITA AVEANITA CT MENTMORE CTBEAR BROOK DR METROMONT PKYBELLS KNOX RD MILAN RDBERRY TREE CT MISTY CREEK DRBIRCHWOOD DR MONTGOMERY STBISHOPTON PL MOSS STN BISHOPTON PL MUNSING DRBRAWER FARM DR NEVIN RDN BREVARD ST NORTHPARK BLVDBRIMBERRY CT NORTHWOODS FORE DRBROOK FARM LN OAK KNOLL LNCAMERON SPRING RD PAPER WHITES PLCARLETO CT PEARL CRESCENT DRCHRISTIAN SCOTT LN PENNINGER CIRN CHURCH ST PINECREST DRS CHURCH ST PLUMSTEAD RD
CLAIREMORE PL QUEENSGATE LNCOLIN CREEK LN RENNER STN COLLEGE ST ROADWAY STCORONET WAY ROCKMEADOW DRCOUGAR HILL CT ROSBERG LNCRAVEN HILL DR RUCKER CLIFF DRCREEKVIEW CT SADLER GLEN DR CRICKETEER DR SAMPSON STN DAVIDSON ST SANDMAN LNDAYAN DR SEABOARD STDEVAS CT SELDON DRDEWMORN PL SHADOW COVE LNDOUBLE OAKS RD SHADY CIREUSTIS PL ST PAUL STEVERCLEAR CT STARDUST DRFARLOW RD STEWART SPRING LNFELDBANK DR E STONEWALL STFOREST DR W STONEWALL STFOSTER BROOK DR S SUMMIT AVE
FRAZIER AVE TALLIA CT
GALESBURG ST TARPAN CTN GARDNER AVE E TRADE STGLAMORGAN CT W TRADE STGOODMAN RD TRANSPORT DRGRANT ST TRENTSBY PLGUSTY CT TRENTWOOD PLHARLAND ST TUCKASEEGEE RDHARRISON ST N TURNER AVEHAVERSHAM CT VANTAGE PLHEARN PL VINING CTHEIL PL WAYSIDE CTHIGHLANDER CT WELCH PLW HILL ST WESTDALE DRHOLBERT CIR WILMA LEE CTHOLLY PARK DR WOODINGTON LNHYPERION CTIDAHO DRINTERURBAN AVEKENNESAW DRLAKEHILL RDLAKEVIEW STLANDER STLAUREN KAY CTLEIGH DRLEVISEY LN

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Need Extra Tables & Chairs for Family Gatherings & Yard Sales?
Contact Bernie Samonds (704 806-3813 deritarep@aol.com ). 8ft. folding tables, $5 available to rent. Folding metal chairs, 50 cents each. Call now to reserve them. Liberal pickup and return availability.

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Trying to Reduce "the Clutter?"
Got stuff you need to buy, sell or trade? List it FREE in our BARGAINS GALORE email. No fees. No Commissions. List up to eight items free each week and get ready for the phone to ring. It's that easy. Email us at deritarep@aol.com

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Looking for ways to strengthen your Neighborhood?

Want to know more about do-it yourself projects?
If so, join us for our Community University Summer Series!
Topics include:

Organizing Neighborhood Projects: Easy as 1, 2, 3
Thursday, July 9
6:30 pm-8:00 pm
YWCA at 3420 Park Road
Learn about forming committees, planning strategically, and completing project management steps for neighborhood projects.


Food for Thought: Community Gardens
Wednesday, July 15
9:30 am-11:00 am
Wilmore Community Center at 501 West Boulevard
Learn how to create and manage a community garden and how to troubleshoot potential problems. Gardening options for seniors and the handicapped, as well as available resources for community gardens, will be shared.


Healthy Lawns and Gardens
Monday, July 20
9:30 am-11:00 am
Wilmore Community Center at 501 West Boulevard
Learn tips for community and personal gardens, including preventing pests, soil management and maintenance, and selecting the correct types of plants for your garden.


Do-it Yourself: Home Repairs for Anyone
Wednesday, July 29
9:30 am -11:00 am
Wilmore Community Center at 501 West Boulevard
Learn how to complete do-it yourself home projects, such as weather stripping, showerhead and toilet replacement and screen repair.


Healthy Environment = Healthy Neighborhoods
Monday, August 3
6:30 pm-8:00 pm
YWCA at 3420 Park Road
Learn how having a healthy environment can make your neighborhood healthy, including ideas like composting, recycling, and properly maintaining water sources.

So, bring a neighbor, tell a friend, and join us for our day and evening workshops this summer! To register call 704-336-2061 or email neighservs@ci.charlotte.nc.us See you at CU!

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HOT DOGS EVERY THURSDAY
Oak Grove United Methodist Church
6440 Old Statesville Road, 11am - 2pm
Fix'em the way you like'em, Eat In or Take Out
Not a Hot Dog fan?
Skip the dogs, choose the Homemade Soup & muffin
or Pinto Beans and cornbread (ketchup & onions available)
Warm friendly atmosphere. Wonderful conversation readily available

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News --- That You May Have Missed

The BEST STORIES rarely ever make the daily papers. Consider this tale of a drought-stricken Kingsnake in the Mallard Creek area that actually committed suicide.

EVELYN ALEXANDER of Mallard Creek Rd. explains, a bit tongue-in-cheek and in perfect honesty. She may be age 65 and retired from her duties as a librarian, but she really did see that Humming Bird in her backyard taking a shower under the spray of her garden hose. . . .

Now husband JOHN remained a bit skeptical, but even stranger things have happened. A six-foot Kingsnake had climbed into their peach tree during the night either hoping to catch a napping bird off guard or maybe his gyro had gotten baked by the sun . . . who knows? But he was up in that tree and on his way down when the part that goes over the fence last, didn't go . . . That part got wedged in the fork of a limb with the business end (the head, that is) dangling too far below the point of no return to retrace his movements.


Now Inversion is great therapy for humans, I'm told. But doesn't work any wonders
for Kingsnakes. This one was stretched upside down and genuinely stuck. It
appeared the snake had even tried to eat through its own tail to gain release,
but to no avail.

And that's where JOHN ALEXANDER found the snake the following morning, hanged in that peach tree. . . And now, even he will believe that the Humming Bird took a shower, iffen EVELYN will agree that the Kingsnake committed suicide.

We're convinced, how about you? --- from The Derita Reporter, 1986.

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Four after-hours swimmers gone skinny-dipping at Allen Hills Swim Club were caught with their pants down July 25th. Phil Holshouser and some other club members stopped by the club at 11pm that night and found a Mustang parked
out front.

(On previous mornings, Club members in charge had arrived to find lawn furniture tossed into the pool, the vending machines looted, and the office trashed.)

When they unlocked the gate and switched on the lights, the four skinny-dippers were caught in the middle of the pool . . . And as they waited for the County Police to arrive, Phil was no doubt chuckling as he said, "Now don't you fellows go anywhere!" --- from The Mecklenburg Gazette, July 1969.

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NEED TO BORROW OR RENT
a 25-30ft Extension Ladder for gutter cleaning.
Jack Brosch, Cell: (704) 622-6995

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Your Questions and Some Answers

Q. By the way Bernie, any idea when they are going to pave David Cox Rd? Coming months is very vague. Thank You.

Sorry, the District 4 Paving List, like the District 2 List above, doesn't come with a calendar. As crews finish with one job, they simply move on to the next. Also keep in mind that re-paving work may be limited to only a block or two which are in most need of repair. We had one crew arrive in Allen Hills last year at 11am, lay a bit of asphalt and leave. We thought they had broke for lunch, but that was it. They had covered the cracked area and were gone.
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Q. A friend told me that you said that RibbonWalk was an ancient Indian hunting ground. I know the Cherokees live In Cherokee & Oklahoma and the Catawba live near Rock Hill. Did Native Americans really live here in Derita?.

Yes, there were Native Americans living here long before the white European settlers arrived. Five separate Catawba villages lined just one nearby 20-mile stretch of the Catawba River, with many more settlements along other NC
streams. They were farmers, fishermen, and makers of much-sought-after pottery that attracted trading parties from great distances.

The Cherokee, their biggest rivals, inhabited much of the piedmont from Georgia to NC. They grew some crops, but were better known as hunters and fishermen.Then there were the Lumbee, Waxhaw, Iroquois from Albemarle and many, many more. You need to forget the TV-Movie images of Indian Villages being so many days ride apart. Indians here in the eastern woodlands were not nomadic and didn't travel with the season. They populated neighboring areas, made good use of the resources, and thrived in great numbers until the settlers arrived with their European diseases.
To give you an idea of the sheer numbers in the area, the Catawba and Cherokee clashed in a three-day turf war near time French Broad River. 1700 warriors died in a single day, felled by tomahawk, headknocker, blowgun or hand-to-hand combat.

Yes, there's plenty of evidence that Native Americans were in our community. Friends of mine in Arvin Hills have shown me the arrowheads they've found. Nancy & Carolyn Eargle of Allen Hills put together a nice collection of flint
arrowheads they picked up in the freshly plowed fields (now Grenelete Village) as they followed along, barefoot in the fresh dirt, behind their dad who was plowing.

Folks living along the creek on Ridgelane Rd. (behind Derita School (Turning Point Academy) and across from Hemby Woods & Forest Pond) have turned up shards of pottery and even the head of a tomahawk. Growing up here, I recall
the story of an Indian family that kept pretty much to themselves, but lived in the dense woods off Neal Rd. as late as the 1950's.

You folks in Oakbrooke (just off Hwy 115 across from the old Fox Drive-in) may not realize it but your houses stand on an old farm. Before it was bulldozed, the old barn and well house dated back before the Civil War and Confederate soldiers hid from a passing Yankee patrol in the old corn crib there. But even before that, it was the site of a large flint outcropping where Indians chipped arrowheads from the stone.The rocks stood just north of the Scottsborough and Hunter Acres neighborhoods. No way of telling how many arrowheads were made there, but broken ones littered the site as late as the mid 1990's. Indian writings could also be seen nearby.

The large amount of earth being moved in creating new sub-divisions and the years of falling leaves and fresh growth have covered most of the artifacts in our area, but it's still worth a look. Because of this, Museum quality relics
are usually found a foot or two below the surface, but plowing, construction, and storm water frequently will wash something to the surface.

Areas like RibbonWalk, with freshwater lakes, creeks, forest and fields were an ideal place to find wild game, and the local tribesmen knew that. Keep a sharp eye for arrowheads as you walk the trails.
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Q. Every morning I travel south on Mallard Creek, to Sugar Creek Rd. I need to take a left to go toward Graham St, so like most mornings I have to sit at the traffic light and wait to turn left. Every morning I see at least one person get into the right hand lane (which is not a stop light, but a yield sign), act as if they are making a right hand turn, but as soon as the get passed the island they swing left, and speed off.

The other variation to this illegal move is if it doesn't look as if they can cut the U-turn, they Pull into the entrance in front of Gary's Barber Shop, speed through the parking lot and shoot out of the other entrance, near Maria's Dinner, with out stopping.
We asked that a CDOT Supervisor look at the intersection to see if some changes might help, but the final decision will be up to NCDOT, since both are State roads.

Meanwhile, Officers from the North Division & University City Division will be spot-checking the traffic flow for violations. This is more dangerous than most folkswould imagine. We have a similar problem on West Sugar Creek Rd.in the afternoons near the School, where drivers ride the right lane and quickly try to merge left when the street goes 2-lane at Rumple Rd. Failing at that, they will turn onto Rumple Rd., do a U-turn and then try to weave through the Chilly Moose Deli parking lot to get back on to West Sugar Creek. Traffic tickets are being written and some crashes have narrowly been avoided.
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Q. We have enjoyed the "histories" on some of our other Neighborhoods, but what's the story behind Allen Hills-Carrie Hills?

Where to begin? I've written previously that most of Derita was comprised of big family farms, which were slowly divided as Patriarchs died and the bigger farms were divided among family and in-laws, or portions sold to newcomers that they thought would make good neighbors. It really wasn't until the mid-1950's that the population really shifted to this side of Charlotte.

In my DSRCO files, I found copies of some photos of the J.J. Allen dairy farm
http://community.webshots.com/album/573295351HZeUqA
which shows the old farmhouse, milking shed, barn, and the two lakes where Manning Rd, Lake Rd., and Elizabeth Rd. would soon be cut. It was pretty much vacant pasture land in these photos. I'm sure that a good many of the old
tree stumps had been buried along the future Alpine Ln. and many others had been hauled off to a south pasture near the current Allen Hills Pool; land that would eventually be sold to developers in the late 1990's as the site of Carrie
Woods . . . named after Mrs. Carrie Allen.

Now I have mentioned T.D. Little before, who as a young lad had grown up in one of the two houses back then on Peach Street in Derita (next street north of the Post Office) and now lives near the intersection of Allen Rd. South & Allen Rd. East. I appreciate his help in refreshing my memory here.

You may recall, long before T.D. earned his fortune selling insurance, he earned spending money during the summers by hiring on to pick cotton and other crops at the one of the large local farms. Two that he mentioned were the Young farm (at the hard left curve on Rumple Rd.) and the Griggs farm across the railroad tracks from Derita Presbyterian Church. At one farm, he could earn 65 cents a day + dinner, and the other offered $1 a day + dinner, but turns out that that farmer's wife was not as good a cook as the first. He left after the just one day. T.D. was able to re-negotiate his old job back receiving the same wages as Black workers, earning 70 cents per 100 lb of cotton he could pick. T.D. averaged 200 lbs per days and remembers himself as "rolling in cash that summer."

Farmily farms on Eargle Rd (later to become Grenelefe Village), at Stephens Farm Lane (later to become Poplar Springs) and the huge Hunter Farm ( soon to become Hunter Acres, and later Christenbury Hills, Devongate & General's Point) --- just to name a few, kept Derita folks pretty busy and Derita a well-known railstop. But
try as you will, there was only so much money to be made at farming. Folks on the southside of Charlotte had become rich by turning their pastures into new home developments. Folks here took notice.

Back in the early 1940's, my Dad bought several acres of the old Overcash Farms wheat fields that had gone fallow. He paid $100 an acre, turning down several choice lots between here and the Railroad tracks, because he was
afraid trains passing in the might my keep him from sleeping. (That property is now all I-1 & I-2). I look across the street at the Nat'l Metals warehouse, and next to it at Harris Mustang Parts, the cell tower and Truck Tech Car &
Auto Repair and remember the fields of yellow grain. --- Rest assured, land in Allen Hills never again sold so cheap.

What roads existed, were dirt & gravel back then. Pavement on Graham Street (2 lanes) stopped at an huge wood workshop next to the rail line where craftsmen fashioned funeral monuments out of granite. It stood several blocks south of the current Atando Ave. rail crossing, says T.D. Little. From there, on through Derita, Mallard Creek and all the way to Concord, the roads remained dirt & gravel.

By the time my family built our house (on Camel's Hump -- what folks called these hills & the big dip on Allen Rd. South back then) pavement was extended into Derita and a short stretch of Allen Rd South had even been paved, stopping at the end of my driveway. There it became gravel again. Stayed that was until I was in junior high school at JM Alexander in Huntersville --- Yeah, I was part of the school-bussed generation).

Beside the railroad track at North Graham, I remember seeing the huge 4 x 8ft pink, white & black wooden sign announcing 300 new brick homes to be built in Allen Hills. It stood there for years. That's where I often caught the school bus each morning, so I could "run the track" for school bus driver Tommy Nix who still lives on Racine Ave.

J.J. Allen and his son Tom, along with Dr. J. Allen were building a neighborhood that would attract returning servicemen who wanted to raise families. Most were ranch style homes and came with a community water system --- the Allen Hills Water Company. A covenant on most deeds called for brick houses. Can't say that they ever reached all 300 homes, but with Carrie Hills, I think the count is now about 560.

It was a busy time as the City edged north toward Derita. Swamped with home requests, the Allen's sold off part of their land to developers like M.B. Tadlock who built the houses along Twin Lane. Not far away, Robert Hunter was building Hunter Acres. In the next decade would come Randomwood off Mineral Springs Rd, Derita Woods off Derita Rd. (now Graham St.) and Ridgeview (off Rumple Rd.) Growth was overtaking us.

Why we even had one house here in Derita that was ordered out of the Sears & Roebuck catalog and arrived by rail. You folks in Devongate probably know which one I'm talking about.

We would likely have been up to our ears in "New Neighbors" before now, but the City annexed our area in the 1970's and re-zoning became a lot more complicated and costly than in the County. Many developers opted to buy the open farm land in Mallard Creek and along Prosperity Church Rd. where they could build with fewer headaches. Now what was your question again?

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Today's Funny: (From our FREE Friday Funny E-Mail. Send us an email if you'd like to receive it.

FUTURE PRESIDENT

I recently asked my friends' little girl what she wanted to be when she grows up. She said she wanted to be President some day.

Both of her parents, liberal Democrats, were standing there, so I asked her, 'If you were President what would be the first thing you would do? ' She replied, 'I'd give food and houses to all the homeless people.' Her parents beamed. 'Wow...what a worthy goal.' I told her, 'But you don't have to wait until you're President to do that. You can come over to my house and mow the lawn, pull weeds, and sweep my yard, and I'll pay you $50. Then I'll take you over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out, and you can give him the $50 to use toward food and a new house.' She thought that over for a few seconds, then she looked me straight in the eye and asked, ' Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and do the work, and you can just pay him the $50? I said, 'Welcome to the Republican Party.' Her parents still aren't speaking to me. . . --- submitted by Jack Brosch

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